Fence-machine



(No Model.)

S. A. FRETWELL'.

FENCE MACHINE.

No. 580,267, Patented Apr, 6, 1897 UNITED STATES PATrNT OFFICE,

SILAS A. FRETIVELL, OF CENTRALIA, MISSOURI.

FENCE-MACHINE.

, SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 580,267, dated April6, 1897.

Application filed July 29, 1896. Serial No. 600,882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SILAs A. FRETWELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Centralia, in the county of Boone and State of Missouri,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fence-Machines, whichimprovement is fully set forth in the following specification andaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation ofmyimproved fence-machine. Fig. 2 is a plan View; Fig. 3, an enlargedView of a part of one side of the machine, showing the slottedsprocketwheel forming a part of the twisting mechanism; Fig. el, anenlarged view of the opposite side of the device; Fig. 5, a plan view;and Fig. 6, a detail view of one of the sprocketwheels and one of theauxiliary disks, respectively.

My invention pertains to improvements in fence-n1aking machinery; and myobject is to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient device forconstructing slat-and-wire fences and for repairing the same when brokenor otherwise deranged.

The peculiar features and special advantages of the invention will beapparent by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Arepresents a stanchion or post of suitable size reinforced on one edgeby a flange 2. The lower end is provided with a horizontal metal plate 3and the upper end with a handle 4, whereby the machine is held steadywhen at work by the hand and foot of the operator. A series of apertures5 are formed at suitable intervals in the stanchion and provide bearingsfor the circular twisters. Slots 7 extend diagonally downward from saidapertures to the outer edge of the stanchion to admit the fence-wires.The twisters consist of a sprocketed wheel 8, having on one side asmaller integral disk 9, forming a journal which revolves freely in theapertures or bearings 5. Slots 10 extend diametrically from theperiphery of the twister to a point near the center. The inner ends ofsaid slots have reversed rightangled extensions, as shown in thedrawings. A supplementary disk 11 is adjustably attached to the face ofthe smaller disk 9 by a screw and thumb nut 12, and is provided withslots 13, the rightangled extremities of which are reversed in relationto the slots 10.

The twisters are operated by a crank attached to a sprocket-wheel 14,which engages a sprocket-belt 15. In order to provide means forslackening or tightening the said belt, the arm 16, which carries thedriving-wheel 14, is pivoted to the stanchion and is adjusted inposition by a thumb-nut 17, which engages the slotted segment 18. If itbe desired to introduce additional twisters in the stanchion it is onlynecessary'to release the arm and permit the driving-wheel 14 to swingdownwardly free from the belt as far as necessary for the purposerequired. The desired changes being effected, the wheel is raised andreadjusted by the thumb-nut.

The operation of the device is as follows: The stanchion being set inthe desired position, the thumb-nut 12 is slackened and the disk 11turned until the slots 10 and 13 coincide. One of the fence-wires isthen placed in the twister and the disk 11 turned a halfrevolution,bringing the opposite slot into position to admit the second wire.Aslight backward turn of the disk incloses the wires in apertures formedby the angular extensions of the slots and they are retained therein bytightening the thumb-nut.

In order to adapt the machine for repairing fences without cutting thewires, the sprocketchain 15 is provided with a hooked link,(not shown,)and may thus be opened to receive the wires. It will also be understoodthat the twisters may be passed over a kinked or spliced wire by thesame means.

What I claim as new is In a fence-machine, the combination with the posthaving a series of apertures 5 and a series of slots 7 extendingtherefrom to the outer side of the post, the twisting-wheels eachcomprising a sprocket-wheel having on one side a smaller integral diskforming a journal adapted to rotate in said apertures 5, and formed withdiametrical slots extending from near the center of said disks to theperiphery thereof and having reversely-disposed angular inner ends, andthe supplementary disks adjustably connected with said small disks andhaving reversed angularinner ends have hereunto set my hand this 21stday of in reverse relation to the slots 10, of the swing- J uly, 1896,in the presence of Witnesses. in arm pivotally connected at the innerend 1 to the post, the sprocket-Wheel at the outer SILAS A"FRLTWELL' 5end, the slotted segment, and the thumb-nut, W'itnesses:

substantially as described. M. A. ARNOLD,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I A. L. COX.

